Craved by an Alpha by Felicity Heaton Page A

blankets.
    She shot to her feet, almost cracking her head on the low ceiling of the cave, and began to pace, hunched over and breathing hard, needing the space or she was going to explode. She wanted to turn on him and give him hell, just as she had wanted a million times before, but just like all those times, she reined in her anger and crushed it out of existence.
    Because he was her pride’s alpha.
    She could hate him all she wanted for what had happened, but she still had to respect him.
    “Eloise.” He reached for her.
    “Don’t Eloise me,” she snapped and paced away from him, towards the entrance of the cave where the air was chilly and fresh. She took deep breaths of it, using it to cool her head before she did something she would regret or said something she couldn’t take back.
    He lowered his hand onto the sleeping bag, over his knee, and heaved another sigh. “I left because of you.”
    Her lips parted. He had done what?
    She scowled at him. “No… you left because Stellan defeated you and you wanted to get away from being the alpha of the pride… you left because you hated it at the village… you…”
    “Left because I couldn’t bear seeing you drifting away from me.”
    She shook her head, a chill skating down her spine, and folded her arms across her chest. She rubbed them, trying to stop herself from feeling cold to the bone. It wasn’t possible. He couldn’t have left because of her. He just couldn’t. It was too much. How did he expect her to react to it? Why hadn’t he sought her out and told her why he was leaving? She might have stopped him.
    She might have gone with him.
    She shook her head again, tears burning her eyes. It was too cruel to say these things to her now, after everything she had been through because of him.
    “No… please, Cavanaugh… don’t lie to me.”
    Because she couldn’t bear it. It was tearing down her defences, even when it changed nothing. He utterly laid waste to what was left of her barriers when he rose onto his feet, the sleeping bags falling away to reveal his naked body.
    Her mouth went dry. She tried to look away but her eyes were too occupied with drifting over every inch of him, reacquainting herself with just how lean and powerful he was, honed and god-like, the epitome of a strong male.
    “Eloise,” he husked, burning her resolve to ashes, “I left because I wanted you and I couldn’t have you.”
    She barked out a short laugh at that, a bitter taste on her tongue as she glared at him. “You could have had me. You could have just ordered me into your bed.”
    His eyes darkened and she took a step back, a ripple of awareness travelling through her. She had pushed too far and too hard, and she had hurt him with her callous words. Her Cavanaugh would never do such a thing. She knew it in her heart. He would never use the rules of their pride to force her to sleep with him.
    She had just put him on the same despicable level as Stellan.
    “I’m sorry.” She covered her mouth and shook her head, hating how feeble her apology sounded.
    His jaw tensed and he looked away from her, his gaze downcast. “I see. So… you’re bringing me back to the pride to trade one monster for another.”
    “No, Cavanaugh, that isn’t what I—”
    He silenced her with a glare, his eyes glowing silver around his wide pupils.
    “Shouldn’t you speak to me with a little more damned respect?” he barked and she took another step back. Her gaze darted to her feet, but not before she caught the regret that shone in his eyes. “I need some fucking air.”
    He swiped his trousers from the pile of clothing near their packs, pulled them on and strode towards her. She ducked to one side and pressed herself against the wall as he passed, and closed her eyes as he crawled through the entrance of the cave and disappeared from view.
    Eloise slid down the wall and onto her backside. She drew her knees up to her chest and stared at the wall opposite, listening to Cavanaugh